Third choice, top dollar / Giants sign Roberts for three years, $18 million

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, December 2, 2006

Photo: LENNY IGNELZI

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San Diego Padres centerfielder Dave Roberts smiles during workouts at the teams' spring training camp Friday, March 18, 2005, in Peoria, Ariz. The Padres expect Roberts to cover the spacious PETCO Park outfield and to be the leadoff hitter they have lacked. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi) Ran on: 03-27-2005
The Padres expect Dave Roberts to cover center field in spacious PETCO Park and to be the leadoff hitter they have lacked.
Ran on: 11-25-2006
Rich Aurilia
Ran on: 11-25-2006
Rich Aurilia less

Third choice, top dollar / Giants sign Roberts for three years, $18 million

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Dave Roberts has been around long enough to know he cannot sulk because he was not the Giants' first choice for center field, nor even their second. They turned to Roberts only when Gary Matthews Jr. and Juan Pierre signed elsewhere.

"That's the nature of this business," Roberts said after his signing became official Saturday. "I have confidence in my own abilities and feel I can compare with any of those guys. I'm just excited to show that the decision was the right one on their end."

Even third choices can make decent dollar in this market. The Giants signed Roberts for three years at $18 million, which means he had a doubly good day, because he attended UCLA. Roberts will earn $5 million in 2007 and $6.5 million each in 2008 and 2009.

The Giants also have completed a two-year deal worth more than $7 million with Rich Aurilia, who primarily will play first base, that will not be announced until Monday because Aurilia was a day behind Roberts in taking his physical. A deal with catcher Bengie Molina also remains close.

Although Roberts at 34 is older than Matthews and Pierre, he also is more economical, and there was a belief among some in the industry that whoever signed Roberts would be the wiser, because dollar for dollar he could provide more than Pierre at $45 million and Matthews at $50 million over five years - if his legs hold up into his late 30s.

Roberts generates speed at the top of the order, a commodity the Giants consistently have lacked, to their detriment playing in a ballpark that rewards teams that can move from first to third on singles over those with power.

Roberts stole 49 bases in 55 chances for manager Bruce Bochy in San Diego last season and chose to rejoin Bochy in San Francisco rather than accept similar deals from Milwaukee and Texas.

"Speed is a determining factor in a lot of games," general manager Brian Sabean said. "That speed can show up in any inning at any point of the game. We were cognizant of that. With Dave's willingness to sign with the Giants, and our need, it became a perfect fit. Our last few teams certainly haven't had that dimension."

Before Roberts can steal, he needs to get on base, and last year he did a decent job, batting .293 with a .360 on-base percentage in a career-high 499 at-bats. More eye-opening than his 49 steals was his 89 percent success rate.

"I'm a pretty aggressive player," he said. "I do think 'go.' That just puts pressure on the defense. Obviously, I take pride in stealing bases. That said, I take pride in a high percentage of steals as well. I don't like to run into outs. Hopefully when I get on base, Omar (Vizquel) will see more fastballs and be in more of a position to drive in runs, and create more opportunities for the middle of the order."

A potential order would have Roberts and Vizquel followed in the third spot by Aurilia and whomever the Giants get to hit cleanup, with Ray Durham batting fifth, Randy Winn sixth, and Pedro Feliz and Molina seventh and eighth if they sign as expected.

"Obviously, to have the potential opportunity to play with a guy who, in my opinion, is the best ever to play the game, would be pretty exciting," he said. "That's as far out of my hands as possible, but even at this point in his career he's one of the only players who can impact a game when he's in the hole, not even in the on-deck circle. That completely changes the dynamics of the game."

Although scouts believe Roberts is best suited to play left field, he will roam in center for the Giants unless they can trade for a truer center fielder (Vernon Wells or Andruw Jones, for instance).

Bochy said Roberts played both positions well last season during the Padres' second straight division-title run.

Bochy called Roberts a "tremendous talent, really big in the clutch and a guy who's really big in the clubhouse," adding, "Without Dave Roberts, I don't want to think where we would have been."

If the Giants complete their deal for Molina, their only remaining positional hole going into the winter meetings Monday would be left field.

Mike Matheny, who has a year left on his contract, will undergo a long-planned battery of tests Wednesday to determine how much his brain has healed from a series of concussions that threaten to end his career. However, Sabean believed he could not afford to wait for the results.

Head trainer Dave Groeschner said Matheny continues a gradual improvement, but added, "Our feeling is, and Mike feels the same way, just the length of time this has gone on, this doesn't bode well for Mike. Our goal is to get Mike better. The baseball people have to decide what they have to do."

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